Allina restricts kids under 5 from visiting, due to measles outbreak

MINNEAPOLIS - Due to the recent measles outbreak, all children under 5 are now being asked not to visit Allina Health hospitals, unless they require medical care.

In a release issued Monday, Allina Health states they are taking extra precautions with their visitor guidelines, due to the current measles outbreak, which has 48 confirmed cases in Hennepin, Ramsey and Crow Wing counties.

The new guidelines are as follows:

-- Children under the age of 5 are asked not to visit the hospital, unless seeking medical care. Exceptions will be made based on a patient's critical condition/prognosis. Mother-Baby Birth Center visitors will be under the same restrictions for age, with "compassionate exceptions" and masking of all kids under 10.

-- All kids ages 10 and under must wear a mask while in the hospital and during any Allina Health clinic visit.

-- Anyone with a cough or sore throat must be masked while in the hospital

"We have never put these types of guildelines in our hospitals to this degree because of a measles outbreak," said Terri Dresen, an Allina Health spokesperson.

Allina Health already had influenza restrictions in place but they've now made the guidelines more specific to measles.

"We were just about to start to ease off on our influenza guidelines when we started working with the Department of Health on the measles outbreak," Dresen said.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the 48 confirmed cases of measles include two adults. Majority of the cases are children ranging in age from 10-months-old to 10-years-old.